A new training room for the high-altitude section at the Rudna Mining Facility

The professional training room for the specialized rescue service at the Rudna Mining Facility is ready - the mine rescuers will be able, among other things, to perform exercises using mountaineering techniques.

“KGHM rescuers and firefighters are among the best in the world. However, this requires them to continuously improve their skills under very good conditions. This well-equipped training room will be available to the rescuers from the high-altitude section throughout the year. At KGHM, safety of the crew is a priority, and we use all possible methods and spare no means to ensure it at our facilities,” said Mateusz Wodejko, the Vice-President of the Management Board for financial affairs at KGHM Polska Miedź S.A.

The training room of the specialized rescue service for work using mountaineering techniques, which is the full name of the so-called “high-altitude section,” is located near the Mine Rescue Station of the Rudna Mining Facility and consists of two parts: a welfare and storage area (where height rescue equipment is stored and maintained) and a training area - an exercise room. The room has been adapted and completely renovated specifically for the needs of the mine rescue workers.

The room is roofed, allowing people to practice mountaineering techniques and the skills needed for operating equipment used in rescue operations. Until now, rescuers from the Rudna Mining Facility have been training in the premises of KGHM’s division, the Mine and Smelter Rescue Unit (MSRU) in Sobin.

This is another activity this year related to the safety of KGHM’s employees. In March, a state-of-the-art control room for the MSRU in Sobin was put into operation. The new building is equipped with top-notch communications systems and modern IT systems. It was built using modern technology and is energy efficient - it uses energy from the sun thanks to a photovoltaic system installed on the building’s roof.

The new control room is unique not only in terms of equipment. For the first in its history, KGHM is providing the opportunity to conduct a rescue or evacuation operation directly from Sobin. In the event of any incidents at KGHM’s divisions, the MSRU dispatchers receive information and immediately take appropriate action.

New planned investments will help improve KGHM rescuers’ skills. This year, the construction of a Training Center for the medical and high-altitude sections will begin in Sobin. The main purpose of the new building is to allow high-altitude training using mountaineering techniques, but also training of first aid in the broadest sense.